Need information about Pathophysiology class!

This is my first time posting so I hope I'm doing this correctly! Anyway, I am a student who has completed most of my core classes. I am concerned however about this class called Pathophysiology. I will be starting nursing school in fall of 2010. I've passed the entrance exam to get into Brenau and they suggest taking it the summer BEFORE starting nursing school because it's so difficult. My friend is in it now and says it's the hardest class she's taken in her life! She normally a high B student but is barely hanging on with a C while so many others are failing it. I would like some comments from anyone who has taken this course from either Brenau or Ga. Baptist at Mercer in Atlanta. I've heard in the fall of 2010, Mercer is going to somehow combine both patho and pharmacology together into one class. Can anyone comment on what they think of this? Is it true that you don't have to take patho at Piedmont College? I'm worried and just don't want to pick the wrong college where I have to take unnessarily difficult courses that I might not have to elsewhere. I've worked to hard to even be where I am now. I would love to hear from any of you at these 3 schools who are there now or have recently graduated.

Patho is hard, true, but it's essential. I can't imagine any school not including this in its curriculum. Patho and Pharm are the two classes where you start to learn what diseases and conditions are out there and what to do about them, very important knowledge and tough! Good luck! You can do it!

Jul 12, '09

I know Kennesaw State requires it. I don't know about others. I've heard that it is very heavy in Anatomy 1 and 2 so if you did well in those that should help.

Jul 12, '09

i don't know about those three schools but i took patho at the medical college of georgia and they made us take it the same semester as pharmacology. i know some people had trouble passing but i got all A's that semester. it's really just a matter of studying. i didn't think it was sooo bad. good luck.

Jul 12, '09

I know at Clayton State they make you take it before you can enter into the nursing program, and Ga. Baptist is already starting to combine pathophysiology and pharmacology together for fall 09.. I'm in the same boat as you.. I'm extremely worried about this class.. and now that its combined with pharmacology.. I really don't know what to expect...

Dec 23, '09

Pathophysiology is a pretty dense subject but if you study on a daily basis you will do great. I just checked my grades and I got an A on that class. I studied everyday for that class with a minimum of 4 hours a day. You do not have to do that but you just have to find a way that works for you. When you study for Patho, make sure you know how normal physiology works first, after you master that, everything else just starts to make sense. Do not try to memorize it, try to understand the concepts. Try to look at it in a 3 dimensional way. I think it is much more easier than A & P because it just focuses on the abnormal values, but you have to know AP first for it to be easy to understand. If you are a visual learner like me, draw pictures or diagrams for the concepts to make sense. For example, when I was studying cardiovascular disorders, I have to draw first how blood flows into the heart, and how heart conduction works. Then I draw how cardiac heart failure affects the body...Itll be easier if you do that... Just draw it!!!...I am pretty sure if you just be consistent with the studying, you will do fine. Remember, study smart, not hard. Make sure you are studying it the right way...."Know how the system works first!!" know normal values and system function...Good luck and I wish you well...My next classes are pharmacology, health assessment, and nursing competency(fundamentals)....Going for UT Tyler Spring 2010 Level 1 nursing courses....I heard Pathophysiolgy is easier than your upcoming nursing classes...such as Adult Health 1 and 2...eeeeeeeeeeek!!!

Jan 16, '10

Im in the same boat as you are.Does anyone know about clayton state's requirement for pathophysiology, i was told i must take it before i start the program and that i have to take it at clayton state, is that true or can i take it at a community college in ohio, because im transferring back to georgia for whichever nursing program that accepts me.

May 21, '10

I just don't really get what people always talk about, how hard these classes are. I just finished pathophys with a B, and that's because I hardly even opened up the book to study. I have been busy with other stuff and didn't bother, really. I did the assignments of course, but study for the exams...nah. Perhaps it helped some that I am an ex hypochondriac, I have already studied all the diseases and what can go wrong, in fact, I have had them all! One of the reasons I want to be a nurse now, but that's another story.

Hey, patho is what its all about anyways, nurses treat sick people. It is quite interesting, more so than any anatomy and physiology class.
Just attend the lectures, hope that your professor gives good ones where you can interact to some degree to make it more "alive" and keep you from falling asleep. Work on the assignments, they are easy anyways. Professors usually also gives hints about what they are going to ask on the essay questions, so pay attention. The rest is just childs play multiple choice questions.
Go online and study disease and disease process, it is probably more fun than to read from the boring old book.

With the right attitude and don't go into this class listening to all the people who say it is so hard, anyone can do good in patho or even better. It is NOT rocket science!!!

May 11, '12

I know this is an older post, but I figure I will throw my two cents in. I think the difficulty depends on you and your professor. I just finished patho class and I passed with just shy of an A-. My professor was pretty easy compared to the other professor that teaches patho at my school. All I can say is that I am glad I took it with her because SO many people fail when they take it with the other teacher. So, it really depends on how difficult your professor wants to make the course. I am not saying I did not have to work hard, because I did. I probably studied 8-10 hours on each test. I know so many people who complain that nursing school is "too hard" but I find these are the people who only want to study for 2-3 hours. If you study you should do fine.